Helped by the weather, skiing has recovered but remains cautious

In 2024, the Court of Auditors warned of a model “running out of steam”. The good snow cover this winter helped to temporarily temper questions linked to global warming. Many resorts have even taken the opportunity to extend their season by one or more weeks. “The snow product is still very good,” said the president of the France Montagne collective Vincent Jay this Wednesday.

With plenty of snow, even exceptional in certain high altitude areas, and good sunshine, most of the massifs have attracted skiers. The only “disappointment” was the winter holidays, impacted by an unfavorable school calendar and two weeks of bad weather. The occupancy rate of tourist accommodation increased by 2 points compared to the same period last year, standing at 73%, according to data from the National Observatory of Mountain Stations.

The operator organization Domaines skiables de France notes a 1% increase in its main “skier days” indicator. This attendance “remains very sustained”, despite strong disparities depending on altitude, according to its president Anne Marty. Nordic activities also posted a 2% increase in turnover over the season, according to the Nordic France organization.

Concerns about political and geopolitical situations

“Our model is resilient and the ski carries our model. And skiing is the only sport in the world that supports an entire economy,” added Anne Marty. However, “we are affected by what is happening in our country and by what is happening in the global economy. (…) The global geopolitical situation and the political situation in our country do not encourage total euphoria either,” she noted.

“When it comes to investments, everyone is in a somewhat uncertain situation and future,” adds Jérôme Camps of the Union of Sport and Cycle Companies. In a sports sector which frequently offers new products, operating costs “go faster than the increase in turnover” and result in “a loss of profitability”, he laments.

Our file on the mountain

And certain small or medium-sized resorts remain in a vulnerable position such as Roc d’Enfer (Haute-Savoie), Alpe du Grand Serre in Isère or the small associative resort of Les Egaux in Chartreuse.